"You're lucky, Kushina," Tsunade said. For a powerful shinobi, finding a truly suitable disciple is a rare blessing. It was the same lineage of fortune passed from the first two Hokages to the Third, from the Third to the Sannin, and from Jiraiya to Minato Namikaze.
Then, Tsunade turned her gaze back to Hagoromo. "Brat, don't you dare go dying on the battlefield."
Hagoromo felt a surge of annoyance. The way she says it makes it sound like I'm planning on it, he thought. Still, he knew better than to talk back to a Sannin.
"Yes, Tsunade-sama."
"You were injured yesterday?"
"Uh, yes."
"Where? Show me."
Hagoromo extended his injured hand as instructed. Without a single visible hand seal, a layer of emerald-green chakra enveloped Tsunade's palm as she grasped his hand. Hagoromo immediately felt a wave of itching and numbness—the tell-tale sign of accelerated cellular regeneration.
"The initial treatment was handled well," Tsunade remarked, releasing his hand.
Curious, Hagoromo unraveled the bandages with his other hand. The wound that had been deep enough to see bone was now nothing more than a faint, thin red line.
This level of medical ninjutsu... it's god-tier. It's completely unscientific! Hagoromo marveled. It almost doesn't fit the logic of this world!
Ignoring Hagoromo's shock, Tsunade turned back to Kushina. "Kushina, since you're already here, stay for a while and help me with the daily administrative tasks. The front line is a mess of paperwork and logistics; I'm sick of it. You can lighten my load. Besides, going back to Konoha is basically like going back to a cage for you."
"Really? I can stay? Tsunade-sensei?" Kushina nearly jumped with joy when Tsunade nodded. "That's amazing!"
It was exactly what Kushina wanted. She had been racking her brain for an excuse to linger at the front, and here was Tsunade handing it to her on a silver platter.
"Tsunade-sama, that is impossible! Per the Hokage's orders, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki must return to the village immediately. This is our mission!"
Two Anbu guards who had been stationed at the entrance burst into the tent. They couldn't allow Kushina to stay; if they returned to Konoha without her, the punishment would be severe.
Tsunade's face darkened instantly. She blurred across the room, covering ten meters in a heartbeat to teach the intruder a lesson—but someone was faster!
Moving even quicker than Tsunade was Hagoromo. His body was a flicker of lightning. He thrust his hand forward like a spear, his Raikiri (Lightning Cutter) shrieking as it pierced the support pillar of the tent right next to the Anbu's head!
This was likely the first time Hagoromo had moved with 100% of his capability. It was faster than his attack on the Sand ninjas, faster than his dodge from Tsunade. The lightning shorn off a piece of the Anbu's mask and left a thin, bloody scratch on his cheek.
If Hagoromo's hand had been two inches lower, the Anbu's throat would be gone. One inch to the left, and his skull would have been pierced.
The Anbu was frozen. He hadn't expected to be attacked by an ally and hadn't even reached for a weapon. Everyone in the tent was stunned—did Kushina's disciple just try to commit murder?
But Tsunade and Kushina quickly saw the truth. Hagoromo was intimidating him. He had only cut the mask.
"I've remembered you, Anbu Squad Leader. Code name: San-Xiao."
Hagoromo's voice was ice-cold. While he hadn't dealt a fatal physical blow, the psychological threat was far more severe. Anbu rely on anonymity. Once their identity is compromised, they face the threat of revenge not just from enemies, but from "allies" they may have crossed during their dirty work.
But why were Hagoromo and Tsunade so furious? It wasn't just because the Anbu burst in.
It was because the idiot had addressed Kushina as "The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki." Regardless of the lack of respect, consider the location: This was the front line. For all they knew, a spy could be listening at the tent flap. If the news leaked that the Jinchūriki was at the front, the Sand would descend on this camp with everything they had.
A Tailed Beast is a nuclear deterrent. No village can afford to lose one, especially during a world war. Losing the Jinchūriki here could lead to a total collapse of the Konoha front.
Hagoromo pulled his arm back, leaving the Anbu drenched in a cold sweat. It wasn't just fear of the lightning; it was the realization of his catastrophic slip of the tongue. This one mistake would likely end his Anbu career.
Tsunade stepped up to the Anbu, her teeth bared. "Is the Anbu's mouth really this loose nowadays? If there's a spy nearby and Kushina's presence is leaked, do you have any idea what will happen? If that happens, not a single one of you on this mission will leave here alive!"
Strategic Hazard: Information Leakage
In the Naruto universe, a Jinchūriki is a strategic asset of the highest priority. Revealing their location in an unsecured area is considered a Grade-S security breach.
Current Standing: You have effectively neutralized an Anbu squad leader's authority through a display of sheer speed and a terrifying verbal threat.